Jones, the Cowboys owner and general manager, didn’t offer a clear picture. He said, “We very likely through a combination of free agency or this draft get serious about another guard/center type.”

And he did say that moving right tackle to Doug Free to an interior position has been discussed, but only if the Cowboys decide that they have enough quality players who can be slotted at the bookend spots.

It’s no different than any running back that I would be looking to to have the snaps that we’d expect from him,” Jones said. “We’re counting on him for protection. We count on him obviously to carry the ball; we count on him in the passing game and are going to count on him more in the passing game. … But the concern is a concern. We sure need a backup.”

Coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys aren’t looking for a change-of-pace back to complement Murray. They just need the best back possible to make their offense go and not have a letdown if Murray’s unavailable.

"There’s a correlation in the growth and development as a person and the growth and development of the player," Garrett said. "I think what he’s done more than anything else is just simply mature and it has a lot to do with the approach that he’s taken. I think the first couple of years in the league, he was a very productive player for a rookie receiver and a second-year receiver, he made big impacts on games, but he wasn’t as consistent as he needed to be. I think his practice habits, his commitment to getting better on the details of the game just continued to improve. I think he saw the results on how that led to him having success on Sunday afternoons.”

And it is a marked contrast to the situation with Matt Eberflus, who came to Dallas with Rob Ryan, but did not chose to leave with him. Like Marinelli, he was given the opportunity to stay with his old team. Unlike Marinelli, he took the opportunity. There are several things you could read into that. The one I like: He saw something in the environment and the senior staff that he wanted to stick with.

Special team coordinator Rich Bisaccia may also have been influenced by Kiffin and Marinelli, who he worked with during his days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that is not the influence he cited during his interview.

"Because it was Jason and because it was the Dallas Cowboys, I never stopped talking to them," Bisaccia said. "I told my wife every night, I can't tell the guy no, I just can't tell him no."

____________________________________

It all runs contrary to the image that emerged of the team right after the end of the season. A cynical response to all this is to presume the responses were coordinated and coached in a form of damage control. Actually, I do think there was a deliberate nature to the way all the assistants talked about the team and their head coach. But I don't think it was forced on them. I think they chose to do it to try and correct an image of things that they felt was very mistaken.

Costa was lost for the season early on, Livings played better than expected, Mackenzy Bernadeau did play well, and Doug Free’s contract now looks like a horrible mistake, as he was bad for the second straight year.

The team still has next to no depth along the OL, and one of the worst C-RG-RT combos in all of football.

"The challenges that Chip Kelly presents are obvious," Garrett said. "Certainly, a great track record at Oregon. He’s just a darn good football coach, and he’s bringing that style of football to the NFL. I think we have seen glimpses of that the last couple of years where there has been a trickle up of college offenses to the NFL. And they are challenging. And his style is even different than some of the things we have seen. We are going to do a lot of studying of what he’s done to make sure we are ready for it because I think it’s different. It’s different from what a lot of teams have seen. We are going to get a chance to face him twice and we know what the challenges are and we have to get ready to go. So we have to get ourselves up to snuff on how to stop those guys."

A: I don't believe the Cowboys have forgotten about the offensive and defensive lines. If you remember last season they signed two guards in free agency, totaling $30 million. It's hard for most NFL teams to find offensive line help. That's just the way it is. But saying that, the Cowboys also need some help in the skill position areas: running backs and safeties are two positions worth improving. The best thing for the Cowboys to do at this stage of their development as a franchise is to draft the best player available. If at No. 18, the best player is a running back, get him and challenge DeMarco Murray. If the best player at No. 18 is a defensive end, select him and add more depth to the defensive line. It's not about moving away from the defensive or offensive lines, it's about making your team better.

Are you satisfied with where you are currently on the cap and what you’ve got to do before March 12?

Jones: We’ve got some restructuring but that’s not even the point. The restructures are built in. We don’t have to negotiate a restructure. All the deals we’re doing are structured in there so it’s more just meet the guys, tell them what we’re thinking, tell them what we’re going to do. Everybody’s making a big to do about this. I don’t know why.

However, Jones said there is a “reasonable way” to prevent Spencer from hitting the open market. But he did say he won’t pay Spencer what he’s initially looking for, which is a contract that will pay him about $12 million annually.

It’s believed Spencer would like to stay in Dallas but not at a huge hometown discount.

Earlier this weekend, VP/director of player personnel Stephen Jones said safety was arguably the biggest area of need this offseason.

He clarified that statement Monday morning.

“It’s not like we don’t have two people we think can start for us in Matt Johnson and Barry Church,” Jones said. “Obviously Matt’s never done it. That’s a serious projection, but we loved everything about him except that he was hurt – the way he moved around when he was healthy, the way he caught on to things, the way he knew things. But they’re both coming off injuries so you’ve got two young guys you want to come through for you.”

However, Jones said there is a “reasonable way” to prevent Spencer from hitting the open market. But he did say he won’t pay Spencer what he’s initially looking for, which is a contract that will pay him about $12 million annually.

It’s believed Spencer would like to stay in Dallas but not at a huge hometown discount.

Earlier this weekend, VP/director of player personnel Stephen Jones said safety was arguably the biggest area of need this offseason.

He clarified that statement Monday morning.

“It’s not like we don’t have two people we think can start for us in Matt Johnson and Barry Church,” Jones said. “Obviously Matt’s never done it. That’s a serious projection, but we loved everything about him except that he was hurt – the way he moved around when he was healthy, the way he caught on to things, the way he knew things. But they’re both coming off injuries so you’ve got two young guys you want to come through for you.”

Earlier this weekend, VP/director of player personnel Stephen Jones said safety was arguably the biggest area of need this offseason.

He clarified that statement Monday morning.

“It’s not like we don’t have two people we think can start for us in Matt Johnson and Barry Church,” Jones said. “Obviously Matt’s never done it. That’s a serious projection, but we loved everything about him except that he was hurt – the way he moved around when he was healthy, the way he caught on to things, the way he knew things. But they’re both coming off injuries so you’ve got two young guys you want to come through for you.”

Earlier this weekend, VP/director of player personnel Stephen Jones said safety was arguably the biggest area of need this offseason.

He clarified that statement Monday morning.

“It’s not like we don’t have two people we think can start for us in Matt Johnson and Barry Church,” Jones said. “Obviously Matt’s never done it. That’s a serious projection, but we loved everything about him except that he was hurt – the way he moved around when he was healthy, the way he caught on to things, the way he knew things. But they’re both coming off injuries so you’ve got two young guys you want to come through for you.”

In the article, it actually says that Church and Johnson would be competing for the spot opposite Sucksabaugh. We can still hope they cut him though.

where do you see that? The main gist of the article is cutting Sensy?..

I got that article and the one from DMN confused. Here is the one from DMN that has the same quotes as the one you posted, as well as this...

Quote:

Asked specifically why he didn’t mention Sensabaugh in that comment, Jones responded, “No. Sensabaugh is in there. I am thinking the other two guys are going to be in there…[for]the other starting position.”

Looks like the one you posted left out that tidbit. Guess they were trying to get our hopes up that Sucksabaugh might be cut._________________

I suggested that the team look to move Free inside. Glad to see this is being considered. He still has talent, and his mobility would be an asset at the OG spot.

I'm confused. I saw Free get bull rushed and physically abused by guys that were 250 lbs. A 'possibility' is bringing him inside, where he will face shorter guys that weight 280 and 300 lbs. That doesn't sound logical to me.

I got that article and the one from DMN confused. Here is the one from DMN that has the same quotes as the one you posted, as well as this...

Quote:

Asked specifically why he didn’t mention Sensabaugh in that comment, Jones responded, “No. Sensabaugh is in there. I am thinking the other two guys are going to be in there…[for]the other starting position.”

Looks like the one you posted left out that tidbit. Guess they were trying to get our hopes up that Sucksabaugh might be cut.